Heating apparatus



Jan. 16, 1934. H. I. PIATT HEATING APPARATUS Filed June 2'7, 1932 F '7' INVENTOR.

Howard P/df/I HAS ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNIT-ED STATES HEATING APPARATUS Howard I. Piatt, Lansing, Mich., assignor to Motor Wheel Corporation, Lansing, Mich., a corpora tion of Michigan Application June, 1932. Serial No. 619,451 3 Claims. (01. 122-379) This invention relates to heating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus of that character wherein the exhaust gases are utilized for heating purposes.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of means for cleaning the passageway through which the exhaustgases escape from the combustion chamber.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for simultaneously reciprocating a plurality of deflectors within a plurality of exhaust flues whereby to clean the same.

Other objects include the provision of means for imparting a sharp blow to a plurality of deflectors disposed within a plurality of exhaust fiues.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention in an oil-burning water heating device is shown in the accompanying drawing: in which:

Figure I is a top plan view of the water heating device shown in Figure II with the outer casing removed; and

Figure II is a sectional view of the water heating device shown in Figure I taken on substantially the line II- II thereof.

The water heating device shown in the accompanying drawing as embodying the present invention-is formed with an outer casing comprising an inner metallic wall 10 arranged in spaced relation to an outer metallic wall 11 with insulation material 12 disposed between the walls. The outer casing is preferably in the form of a cylinder with closed ends. Combustion apparatus, which in the present illustration consists of a premixing chamber, not' shown, for premixing air and oil vapors and a combustionchamber 13 wherein the premixture formed in the premixing chamber is burned, is disposed within and substantially fills the lower portion of the water heating'device. Oil is delivered to the premixing chamber, not shown, by means of a supply pipe 14 and air is admitted thereto through suitable openings 15 provided'in the walls 10 and 11.

The combustion chamber 13 has an upper wall 16 and a cylindrical side wall 17. The side wall 1'7 is disposed in spaced concentric relation to the inner wall 10 of the casing. An annular ring 18 is secured to the lower extremity ofthe side wall 17 of the combustion chamber 13 and the inner wall 10 of the outer casing whereby to effectively seal the space above the ring 18 from the space below the same. A circular plate 19 is secured to the inner wall 10 adjacent the upper extremity thereof whereby to form an exhaust compartment 20 and to effectively seal the same from the space below the plate 19. The plate 19, the inner wall 10, the ring 18, the cylindrical wall 17 of the combustion chamber, and the top wall 16 thereof define a chamber 21 adapted to contain the water to be heated.

A plurality of cylindrical tubes 22 forming passageways for the escape of products of combus tion from the combustion chamber are disposed within the heating chamber 21 with their opposite extremities in communication with the combustion chamber 13 and the exhaust compartment 20. A somewhat larger cylindrical tube 23 is disposed within the heating chamber 21 with its upper extremity in open communication with the exhaust compartment 20 and with its closed lower extremity spaced somewhat above the upper wall 16 of the combustion chamber 13. An exhaust flue 24 provides communication between the interior of the lower portion of the cylindrical tube 23 and a chimney or similar flue device, not shown.

The products of combustion and exhaust gases formed within the combustion chamber 13 pass upwardly through the cylindrical tubes 22 into the exhaust compartment 20 and thence downwardly through the central tube 23 and are discharged to the atmosphere through the exhaust flue 24. In this manner ample opportunity is afiorded for the transfer to the water contained within the chamber 21 of the maximum amount of heat from" the exhaust gases prior to their escape to the atmosphere. While normally the exhaust gases formed within the combustion chamber 13 are drawn upwardly through the tubes 22 and then downwardly through the tube 23 into the exhaust flue 24 by natural draft, it should be understood that any suitable suction or blower device may be utilized for facilitating the flow of the exhaust gases through the tubes 22 and 23 into the exhaust flue 24.

Each of the cylindrical tubes 22 is provided interiorly thereof with a deflector 25 for the purpose of retarding the flow of exhaust gases therethrough whereby to prolong the period during which the heat thereof may be transferred to the fluid in the chamber 21 and for the purpose of cleaning the tubes 22 in a manner which will be described more fully hereinafter. The deflectors 25 preferably consist of strips of metal twisted in a manner to form a spiral passageway through the tubes 22 when inserted therein. It is desirable to form the deflectors 25 so that they fit within the tubes 22 with only sufiicient clearance to permit the deflectors to be readily moved longitudinally within the tubes.

The'deflectors 25 are secured at their upper extremity, by means of links 26, to a rack 27 disposed within the exhaust compartment 20. The rack 27 is secured to the lower extremity of a plunger 28 which extends through an opening formed in the upper wall of the outer casing of the water heating device. The upper extremity of the plunger 28, exteriorly of the outer casing, is pivotally connected to a lever 29. The lever is pivotally connected to a support 30 rigidly secured to the outer surface of the upper wall of the water heating device. The support 30 forms a fulcrum for the lever 29 whereby longitudinal movement is imparted to the plunger 28 when the free extremity 31 of the lever 29 is moved vertically.

When the plunger 28 is reciprocated by the lever 29 a longitudinal movement is imparted to the deflectors 25 through means of the rack 27 and the connecting links 26. This longitudinal movement of the deflectors 25 causes the deflectors to scrape the inner surface of the tubes 22 whereby to dislodge the products of combustion adhering thereto and cause the same to fall into the combustion chamber 13 where the same is subsequently burned.

A securing device 32 in the form of a hook is preferably utilized for securing the free extremity 31 of the lever 29 in a substantially horizontal position. When the free end 31 of the lever 29 is released from the securing device 32 the weight of the rack 27 and the deflectors 25 causes the deflectors 25 and the mechanism associated therewith to assume the position shown in Figure II. When the movement of the lever 29 is not restrained after the free extremity 31 thereof has been released from the securing means 32, the weight of the rack and deflectors causes the rack 27 to strike the upper extremity of the plate 19 forcibly. In this manner a sharp blow is imparted to the deflectors whereby to dislodge the products of combustion adhering thereto.

The plunger 28 and the lever 29 are so designed that when the free extremity 31 of the lever 29 is lowered the rack will strike the inner surface of the upper wall 10 and again impart a sharp blow to the deflectors. Dislodgement of all the products of combustion adhering to the deflectors 25 is accomplished by raising and lowering the free end of the lever 29 whereby the rack 27 alternately strikes the upper wall 10 and the circular plate 19. At the same time, due to the scraping action of the deflectors 25 upon the walls of the tubes 22, these walls are also eifectively freed of all products of combustion adhering thereto.

While a specific embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described in connection with an oil burning water heating device, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular form of device or to the details of construction enumerated, but is co-extensive with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Heating apparatus including in combination a combustion chamber, a plurality of passageways communicating therewith and through which the exhaust gases formed therein are discharged, a deflector disposed within each of said passageways to retard the flow of exhaust gases therethrough, a rack loosely connected to each of said deflectors, means for moving said rack whereby to impart a reciprocatory movement to the said deflectors, and means for limiting the movement of said rack whereby a series of sharp blows are imparted to the deflectors when they are reciprocated.

2. Heating apparatus including 'in combination a combustion chamber, a heating chamber, an exhaust chamber, all of said chambers being enclosed within an outer casing, a plurality of flues providing communication between the combustion chamber and the exhaust chamber, a deflector disposed within each of the flues for retarding the flow of the products of combustion therethrough, a rack disposed within the exhaust chamber and loosely connected to each of said deflectors, and means exteriorly of the casing for actuating the rack to move against the walls of the exhaust chamber whereby to impart a sharply limited reciprocatory motion to the deflectors.

3. Heating apparatus including in combination a combustion chamber, an exhaust passageway communicating therewith and through which the gases formed therein are discharged, a deflector disposed within said passageway, said deflector being suspended from a movable rack, means for moving said rack whereby to reciprocate said deflector, and means for limiting the movement of said rack whereby a series of sharp blows are imparted to the deflector when it is reciprocated. 

